Horror Business
Horror and Image:
Supernatural, Gothic, and Body Horror Workshop
July-October 2025
This online photographic workshop is dedicated to looking through the concept of horror as a trope through literature, cinema, and photography. This four-month course will convene once a month. Each meeting will involve discussing the reading, watching, and photographic assignments.
Each participant will be asked to make images during the workshop, which will be discussed with all group members. Most of these assignments will be photographic. Brad Feuerhelm will lead the course, with one external speaker at each meeting. Sessions should last between 4 and 6 hours. Participants will be expected to be able to locate suggested films to watch. Written references and assignments will be provided.
All meetings will be recorded and will be made available for the duration of the course.
The Early Bird price is 420Euros +VAT
(Available until May 4th, 6 seats available)
Regular Price 470 Euros + VAT
This course is limited to 14 seats
The meeting dates are as follows.
July 26, August 23, September 27, October 25
Chapter 1
July 27th Chrome Fantasies
Start time 15:30 CET
Exploring the early days of horror in cinema and photography, we will explore the work of Fritz Lang and William Mortensen and the origins of grotesque and horrific imagery from biblical times forward. We will also explore the role of fantasy within horror as a trope with themes of cosmic horror and otherworldly horror.
Artists Explored: Fritz Lang, William Mortensen, Lejaren Hiller, Goya, Gustave Dore, Hokusai, Alfred Hitchcock, Lieko Shiga, Eikoh Hosoe, Panos Cosmatos, and more
External Speaker: Geert Goiris
Reading List TBA
Watching List TBA
Assignment TBA
Chapter 2
August 23 Folks Without Us
Start time 15:30 CET
This Primordial Horror and Folk Identity course will explore the Folk horror genre through films and writing. This chapter will examine themes of ancestral horror seen in films such as Midsommer and The Wicker Man, amongst others, such as Blood on Satan’s Claw. The reading will look at writing that falls into this category, with suggestions about ancestral consciousness and natural horror following within the assignments.
Artists Explored: Maja Daniels, Ken Russell, Charles Freger, Estelle Hanania, Claudine Doury, Elizabeth McGrady, Camille Vivier, and more.
External Speaker: Maja Daniels
Reading List TBA
Watching List TBA
Assignment TB
Chapter 3
September 27th Haunted Ghosted Domesticity
Start time 15:30 CET
The nation slumbers in fear amongst the horrors of Amityville, Lily Dale, and First Nations' reclamation of land, as seen in films such as Poltergeist and Pet Semetary. This chapter will look at haunted houses, land, and regions, particularly as they relate to the American cinema experience. We will also look at themes related to the 60s-90s “Golden Age” of serial killing and themes of occult referencing.
Artists Explored: Roger Ballen, Sarah Walker, Tereza Zelenkova, Elena Helfrecht, Jamie Cameron, Ralph Eugene Meatyard, Tina Enghoff, Francesca Woodman, Shannon Taggert, Tony Oursler, Leila Taylor and more.
External Speaker: Tereza Zelenkova
Reading List TBA
Watching List TBA
Assignment TBA
Chapter 4
October 27th The Body as Amorphous Vessel: Reanimation, Gender, and Queer Narratives
Start time 15:30 CET
Hellraiser, Jennifer’s Body, Titane, and many other films have explored the abjection and queer narratives. This trend is part of a broader trend that examines the body through the lens of power and dysmorphia in equal amounts. Directors from David Cronenberg, John Waters, Kathryn Bigelow, Danny Boyle, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and George Romero to Andrzej Żuławski have used horror films to speak about the body and its relationship to the necrotic. They are often seen as a form of political resistance. We will look at cinema for this, but the reading will also provide themes about gender in cinema, ala Men, Women with Chainsaws, Final Girl themes, and more. Zombies, vampires, and reanimation will factor heavily into this chapter, as well as significant discussions regarding illness, AIDS, COVID-19, and their impacts on culture, religion, and politics.
Artists Explored: Antoine D Ágata, Francis Bacon, Julia Kristeva, Andres Serrano, Sophie Calle, Chloe Dewe Matthews, Mark Mcknight, Edmund Teske, Arthur Tress, Carolee Schneeman, Andy Warhol, Bruce La Bruce, Kiki Smith, Jeffrey Silverthorne, Joel-Peter Witkin, Sue Fox, Bastienne Schmidt, Luc Delahaye, George Romero, and Chris Townsend’s incredible Vile Bodies and more.
External Speaker: Mark McKnight
Reading List TBA
Watching List TBA
Assignment TBA
To apply please send us a selection of 15 images and a couple of paragraphs about your work and reasons why you are applying for this workshop to nearesttruthworkshops@gmail.com
